SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today commented on the U.S. Department of Education announcement that California was not selected as a finalist in Phase 1 of Race to the Top (RTTT) competition.
"I am disappointed that California was not selected as a finalist in Phase 1 of the Race to the Top competition," O'Connell said. "We developed a very thoughtful application that outlines how we can make systemic changes to California's public education system that will improve outcomes for all our children. Our application was supported by nearly half of the districts in our state, and it remains a good framework to guide our education reform efforts. We look forward to seeing the federal reviewers' comments about our application to consider how we might improve our chances in Phase 2 of the competition. In the meantime, we will continue to work with the local educational agencies committed to improving student outcomes through our Race to the Top work."
California was among 40 states and the District of Columbia that sought RTTT funding in Phase 1. States will have two opportunities to apply. Phase 2 applications are due June 1, 2010, and awards are expected by September 30, 2010. States that apply in Phase 1, but are not awarded grants may reapply for funding in Phase 2, together with those states that are applying for the first time in Phase 2. Successful Phase 1 applicants may not apply for additional funding in Phase 2. The U.S. Department of Education has not pre-determined the number of grants or the amount of funding that will be awarded in each phase. The amount of funding for Phase 2 has not been determined.
RTTT is part of the federal stimulus package of bills known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. President Barack Obama and U. S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced last November the eligibility and selection criteria for states to compete for $4.35 billion in RTTT funds, which is the single largest pool of discretionary funding for education reform in U.S. history.
California's application spelled out how the state and participating local educational agency partners will collaborate in unprecedented ways to make systemic changes to help accelerate growth in student achievement and improve public education in four key focus areas:
- Refining California's rigorous state standards by adopting internationally benchmarked common core standards and aligned assessments that better prepare students for success in college and the workplace;
- Recruiting, developing, and retaining effective teachers and principals in all schools, with particular attention to those schools that need them the most;
- Expanding our education data system to support instruction and better measure student success in college and the workforce; and
- Dramatically improving the state's persistently lowest-performing schools.
A total of 812 local educational agencies submitted a signed Memorandum of Understanding to partner with California in the RTTT competition. The local educational agencies included school districts or county offices of education, charter schools, and Regional Occupational Programs.